As 2025 comes to a close, Planetary Radio looks back on a year that reshaped space exploration, through stunning discoveries, major milestones, unexpected challenges, and the people who carried science forward through it all.

In this episode, Sarah Al-Ahmed, host and producer of Planetary Radio, is joined first by Kate Howells, public education specialist at The Planetary Society, to share results from The Planetary Society’s Best of 2025 campaign and the newly released 2025 Year in Pictures edition of The Planetary Report. They discuss the images, missions, and accomplishments voted on by the global space community, and how space imagery continues to inspire curiosity, connection, and hope. 

Then, Sarah sits down with Mat Kaplan, senior communications advisor, Asa Stahl, science editor, and Ambre Trujillo, digital community manager at The Planetary Society, for a wide-ranging conversation about the defining space exploration stories of 2025. 

The episode closes with Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society, in What’s Up, where he looks ahead to what’s coming in 2026.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-looking-back-space-exploration

As 2025 comes to a close, Planetary Radio looks back on a year that reshaped space exploration, through stunning discoveries, major milestones, unexpected challenges, and the people who carried science forward through it all.
In this episode, Sarah Al-Ahmed, host and producer of Planetary Radio, is joined first by Kate Howells, public education specialist at The Planetary Society, to share results from The Planetary Society&rsquo;s Best of 2025 campaign and the newly released 2025 Year in Pictures edition of The Planetary Report. They discuss the images, missions, and accomplishments voted on by the global space community, and how space imagery continues to inspire curiosity, connection, and hope. Then, Sarah sits down with Mat Kaplan, senior communications advisor, Asa Stahl, science editor, and Ambre Trujillo, digital community manager at The Planetary Society, for a wide-ranging conversation about the defining space exploration stories of 2025.&nbsp;
The episode closes with Bruce Betts, chief scientist of The Planetary Society, in What&rsquo;s Up, where he looks ahead to what&rsquo;s coming in 2026.
Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-looking-back-space-policy-and-advocacy">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-looking-back-space-exploration</a>

Planetary Radio brings you the human adventure across our Solar System and beyond. We visit each week with the scientists, engineers, leaders, advocates, and astronauts who are taking us across the final frontier. Regular features raise your space IQ while they put a smile on your face. Join host Sarah Al-Ahmed and Planetary Society colleagues including Bill Nye the Science Guy and Bruce Betts as they dive deep into space science and exploration. The monthly Space Policy Edition takes you inside the DC beltway where the future of the US space program hangs in the balance. Visit planetary.org/radio for an episode guide and much more.

Planetary Radio brings you the human adventure across our Solar System and beyond. We visit each week with the scientists, engineers, leaders, advocates, and astronauts who are taking us across the final frontier. Regular features raise your space IQ while they put a smile on your face. Join host Sarah Al-Ahmed and Planetary Society colleagues including Bill Nye the Science Guy and Bruce Betts as they dive deep into space science and exploration. The monthly Space Policy Edition takes you inside the DC beltway where the future of the US space program hangs in the balance. Visit planetary.org/radio for an episode guide and much more.

Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

Planetary Radio brings you the human adventure across our solar system and beyond. We visit each week with the scientists, engineers, leaders, advocates, and astronauts taking us across the final frontier. Regular features raise your space IQ while they put a smile on your face. Join host Sarah Al-Ahmed and Planetary Society colleagues including Bill Nye, the Science Guy, and Bruce Betts, chief scientist for The Planetary Society, as they dive deep into the latest space news. The monthly Space Policy Edition takes you inside the DC beltway with Casey Dreier and Jack Kiraly to discuss the politics of space exploration in the US and advocacy actions you can take to support the missions that matter. Visit planetary.org/radio for the space trivia contest, an episode guide, and much more.

Planetary Radio brings you the human adventure across our solar system and beyond. We visit each week with the scientists, engineers, leaders, advocates, and astronauts taking us across the final frontier. Regular features raise your space IQ while they put a smile on your face. Join host Sarah Al-Ahmed and Planetary Society colleagues including Bill Nye, the Science Guy, and Bruce Betts, chief scientist for The Planetary Society, as they dive deep into the latest space news. The monthly Space Policy Edition takes you inside the DC beltway with Casey Dreier and Jack Kiraly to discuss the politics of space exploration in the US and advocacy actions you can take to support the missions that matter. Visit planetary.org/radio for the space trivia contest, an episode guide, and much more.

Planetary Radio looks back at the biggest space exploration stories of 2025, from stunning images and major missions to hard lessons about how science moves forward. Host Sarah Al-Ahmed is joined by members of The Planetary Society’s communications team to reflect on what defined the year, and what they’re most excited to see in 2026.

Looking back: Space exploration in 2025

2025 was one of the most consequential years for space policy in modern U.S. history.

In this special year-in-review episode, Planetary Radio takes a deep dive into what happened behind the scenes in U.S. space policy and advocacy as NASA faced unprecedented proposed cuts to its science programs. With nearly half of NASA’s science budget at risk, dozens of missions threatened, and months of leadership uncertainty at the agency, this year became a defining moment for the future of space science.

Sarah Al-Ahmed is joined by Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, Jack Kiraly, director of government relations, and Ari Koeppel, an AAAS science & technology policy fellow, to unpack how this crisis unfolded and how scientists, space advocates, and lawmakers responded. Together, they explore how public advocacy helped shift the conversation in Congress.

Plus, in What’s Up, Chief Scientist Bruce Betts explains why stability matters so much for space science and what’s at stake when long-term missions are disrupted.

This is the first of two special year-end episodes. Next week, Planetary Radio will look back at what humanity accomplished in space exploration in 2025, from new missions and discoveries to milestones across our Solar System and beyond.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-looking-back-space-policy-and-advocacy

2025 was one of the most consequential years for space policy in modern U.S. history.
In this special year-in-review episode, Planetary Radio takes a deep dive into what happened behind the scenes in U.S. space policy and advocacy as NASA faced unprecedented proposed cuts to its science programs. With nearly half of NASA&rsquo;s science budget at risk, dozens of missions threatened, and months of leadership uncertainty at the agency, this year became a defining moment for the future of space science.
Sarah Al-Ahmed is joined by Casey Dreier, chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, Jack Kiraly, director of government relations, and Ari Koeppel, an AAAS science &amp; technology policy fellow, to unpack how this crisis unfolded and how scientists, space advocates, and lawmakers responded. Together, they explore how public advocacy helped shift the conversation in Congress.
Plus, in What&rsquo;s Up, Chief Scientist Bruce Betts explains why stability matters so much for space science and what&rsquo;s at stake when long-term missions are disrupted.
This is the first of two special year-end episodes. Next week, Planetary Radio will look back at what humanity accomplished in space exploration in 2025, from new missions and discoveries to milestones across our Solar System and beyond.
Discover more at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-looking-back-space-policy-and-advocacy">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-looking-back-space-policy-and-advocacy</a>

As NASA faces unprecedented proposed cuts to its science programs, Planetary Radio looks back at a pivotal year for U.S. space policy and advocacy. The Planetary Society’s space policy team unpacks what happened, why funding uncertainty matters, and what comes next for space science.

Looking back: Space policy and advocacy in 2025

It was such a delight to feature work by our own Kate Howells in The Planetary Society’s member book club. We keep Kate busy as our public education specialist, but she found time to write about many of her favorite natural satellites in this richly illustrated edition. Join her and book club host Mat Kaplan for a journey taking us from our own Moon, past Europa, Titan, and many more, and out across a galaxy that is no doubt full of worlds circling other worlds. 

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-kate-howells

It was such a delight to feature work by our own Kate Howells in The Planetary Society&rsquo;s member book club. We keep Kate busy as our public education specialist, but she found time to write about many of her favorite natural satellites in this richly illustrated edition. Join her and book club host Mat Kaplan for a journey taking us from our own Moon, past Europa, Titan, and many more, and out across a galaxy that is no doubt full of worlds circling other worlds.&nbsp;
Discover more at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-kate-howells">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/book-club-kate-howells</a>

The Planetary Society’s Kate Howells has written this beautifully illustrated trek among our Solar System’s most intriguing and mysterious moons.

Book Club Edition: MOONS: The Mysteries and Marvels of our Solar System by Kate Howells

Thirty years ago, NASA’s Galileo spacecraft became the first mission to orbit Jupiter, opening a new chapter in our exploration of the outer Solar System. Over eight years around Jupiter, Galileo transformed how we understand Jupiter and its moons, revealing a powerful and dynamic planetary system, uncovering evidence for oceans hidden beneath icy worlds, and reshaping the search for life beyond Earth.

To mark the 30th anniversary of Galileo’s orbital insertion, scientists, engineers, historians, and advocates gathered at the California Institute of Technology for a special symposium: Galileo at 30. In this episode of Planetary Radio, host Sarah Al-Ahmed takes you inside that celebration. You’ll hear how Galileo survived seemingly impossible challenges, how its team adapted when things went wrong, and how its discoveries reshaped planetary science.

You’ll hear from key voices in Galileo’s story, including historian Erik Conway, project manager Bill O’Neil, magnetometer principal investigator Margaret Kivelson, Europa Clipper Project Scientist Bob Pappalardo, and Dragonfly mission Principal Investigator Elizabeth “Zibi” Turtle, along with reflections from many others whose lives and careers were shaped by this remarkable mission.

Together, they tell the story of Galileo not just as a spacecraft, but as a shared human effort, one whose legacy continues to guide exploration today.

Discover more at: https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-galileo-at-30

Thirty years ago, NASA&rsquo;s Galileo spacecraft became the first mission to orbit Jupiter, opening a new chapter in our exploration of the outer Solar System. Over eight years around Jupiter, Galileo transformed how we understand Jupiter and its moons, revealing a powerful and dynamic planetary system, uncovering evidence for oceans hidden beneath icy worlds, and reshaping the search for life beyond Earth.
To mark the 30th anniversary of Galileo&rsquo;s orbital insertion, scientists, engineers, historians, and advocates gathered at the California Institute of Technology for a special symposium: Galileo at 30. In this episode of Planetary Radio, host Sarah Al-Ahmed takes you inside that celebration. You&rsquo;ll hear how Galileo survived seemingly impossible challenges, how its team adapted when things went wrong, and how its discoveries reshaped planetary science.
You&rsquo;ll hear from key voices in Galileo&rsquo;s story, including historian Erik Conway, project manager Bill O&rsquo;Neil, magnetometer principal investigator Margaret Kivelson, Europa Clipper Project Scientist Bob Pappalardo, and Dragonfly mission Principal Investigator Elizabeth &ldquo;Zibi&rdquo; Turtle, along with reflections from many others whose lives and careers were shaped by this remarkable mission.
Together, they tell the story of Galileo not just as a spacecraft, but as a shared human effort, one whose legacy continues to guide exploration today.
Discover more at: <a href="https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-galileo-at-30">https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2025-galileo-at-30</a>

Thirty years after NASA’s Galileo spacecraft became the first to orbit Jupiter, scientists and engineers gathered to reflect on the mission that transformed how we see the giant planet and its moons. 

Looking back: Space exploration in 2025

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